The Prince and the Cub
by Danielle Luna Soulhart
Summary: Prince Hayato begrudgingly went with his father one day for hunting and because of his rage, he almost killed an innocent cub. Days after, it seemed mystical things happen within the Gokudera Household. And the rumor about mystical animals called fiamma were spreading like wild fire. How would the prince cope?


**A/N: I really hate it when idea comes after another without having me even finishing the other. =_= Yes, I'm happy that ideas rush in, but at the same time I feel like frustrated because once I didn't write this down, I will feel regret about it because it's all freaking gone. *sigh* Oh well, this is just a one-shot story that just passed through my mind. And admittedly, it's kind of cute. :D So, I hope you'll find it cute too. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: All rights go to Amano Akira. None of the original characters, terms and plot belongs to the authoress of this fiction. On the other hand, this plot is solely an original from Danielle Luna Soulhart, authoress of this fiction, and any one plagiarizing this fiction will be sanctioned. Anyone who sees plagiarizing this is welcomed by the authoress.**

* * *

**THE PRINCE AND THE CUB**

© Danielle Luna Soulhart

November 2012

* * *

_**CRASH!**_

Pieces of a broken vase showered the carpeted floor and there was the mortified expression of a maid who almost wanted to disappear into the comfortable silk curtain. She was watching her master threw a fit, cannot do anything about it since her master's rage was something that everybody in the house recently knew, and they cannot stop it unless it was his older sister. Tears were threatening to fall on her cheeks, shaking slightly and fortunately ducked on time when a cup of tea was thrown just right at the side of her head, smashing to the wall behind her.

Honestly, she didn't know what made her master throw that kind of anger. And of all people, why her?

The prince in rage was no other than Prince Hayato of the Gokudera dukedom. He was the second son of the one of the most powerful man in Italy, albeit he was a product out of wedlock. His mother was a very beautiful pianist, also came from a rich family, but not that famous unlike other families. She was thrown out by her family members when they knew she conceived a baby boy – a contrary to their tradition wherein the first born should be a girl. The prince never knew his mother because the lady decided to distance herself away, not wanting her only child to be burdened, instead left him to his father, who was a duke. When the prince knew of his birth history, he didn't hesitate to lash out on his father.

The reason of the Prince's current anger was this: his father wanted him to come with him for a hunt.

'_A HUNT!' _That thought supposed to come out as a fiery question but instead come off as a mere exclaimed, mixed-emotion statement. Why would he join his father on a hunt? And what's there to hunt? It's not even hunting season! Plus, he has a lot of _other things_to focus on. But what? His father oh-so 'innocently' threatened him that he'd let Bianchi, his older sister, cook dinner tonight.

Oh, what were the odds of saying no?

And so, here he was in his room, throwing all expensive marble vases and along with the tray of tea his maid served him at the wall. His carpeted floor was stained with both water and tea, and the maids will be feeling so sorry that they ever stepped into the Gokudera household. It was the only way to vent out his anger and not kill anyone of the members of the house. He doesn't want to have blood scattered everywhere because it's troublesome.

After seemingly long hours of throwing and cussing, Hayato finally slumped into his sofa, head resting on the backrest with both arms on the side. In short, he was sitting sprawled on the sofa; not caring if the maid was still there or has practically became one with the curtain. Sucked to be her, then. And as if on cue, his father's personal assistant came in, fighting a choke of surprise and urged himself to straighten and talked to the irked prince.

"Your Highness, the King wanted me to inform you that you will be having your hunt exactly after lunch. He expects you to be at the lobby before 12:30." He immediately left the room.

Hayato threw the last innocent saucer at the door, and shouting one curse in 7 different languages that he knew. He can't really say no now, can he?

…**:[]:…**

Hayato was brooding, gripping at his favorite bow and fighting every urge to shoot his father down along with his lackeys.

Seriously? What's with the sudden hunting? His father personally didn't liked hunting out of season; but now, seeing with a few elite friends and giggling ugly ladies in tow, his father seemed to be enjoying the event. Suddenly, he saw his father pull the trigger of his rifle, and a cry was heard within the forest. His father's lackey went to retrieve what he shot and he was surprised to see a large falcon. The crowd cheered of course, and he, himself, couldn't deny that he father was indeed a sharp shooter. Heck, he learned from his old man from watching afar.

His eyes gazed and glued at the forest, feeling the curiosity for possible reasons.

His trance was broken when he felt a hand landed on his shoulder. A vein of anger emerged, but he didn't move on his spot. Instead, he spoke venomously.

"What do you want?"

His long time friend and enemy, Yamamoto Takeshi, chuckled and round an arm over the next shoulder, "Now, now, Hayato, don't be so grumpy. It's a nice weather to play baseball."

Hayato smacked him in the head, "Idiot! You always think about baseball. And this place is not even suitable for baseball. You're really an idiot, idiot!"

Takeshi just laughed, ignoring the insults that came from the prince. "This is the only time I get to see your angry face, Hayato. What's gotten into you again?"

"See that old man with that blasted rifle and his lackeys?! That's what got me." Hayato replied, taking in a stance and firing his first arrow. "HE purposely made me attend this stupid game! Hasn't he got any good things to do as a duke? Stupid old man…" Then he fired his second arrow, bringing out the birds out of the trees once the arrow hit a tree.

Takeshi didn't reply but chuckled. He knew Hayato's father all too well since he was Hayato's childhood friend and he always stayed at the Gokudera house during summer. Not only that, but their fathers were friends too: Takeshi's father was a renowned swordsman and Lord Knight for the emperor, while Hayato's father was a sharp gunner, an effective assassin under the emperor's command, and of course a duke.

Takeshi patted Hayato's shoulder and beamed at him, "Let your father have the fun on his own. It's not that easy to be a Duke, you know."

"As if being _HIS SON_ and a _PRINCE_ to boot are not hard." Hayato grumbled and fired another arrow.

…**:[]:…**

"You are really the world's greatest gunner, Mr. Gokudera!" A man in a green hunting gear complimented the duke as it hit another animal within the forest without even going in. The assistants found that it was a young deer.

Mr. Gokudera chuckled. He knew for himself that he was a very good shooter and all the flattery was making his moral boost. But of course, being a duke has something to do with humbleness, and never once he did boast his skill, instead, "Thank you, Ronald. But I believe that there are still other people out there who can shoot better than I do."

The said man, Ronald, chuckled, "You're too humble, Your Highness." Then he took a shot on his own, but terribly missed an animal. He purposely missed it just for the sake of further praising the duke and trying to get under his wing. For what? For fame, of course. "Now I can't even shoot properly."

Mr. Gokudera fought the urge not to roll his eyes. He knew too well those eyes, words and movements, but simply ignored them for the sake of staying happy and alive under the good weather, not only with his subordinates, but with his son whose heart was cold on him. "I believe that practice makes a perfect consequence."

Ronald nodded, "You're right. I want always wanted to be like you, Your Highness."

"Don't look up to me." Mr. Gokudera said, "I'm too old for that. Instead," he raised his hand and pointed towards to where his son was located, "be that boy over there."

Instantly, Ronald looked at where the duke was pointing and saw the wonderful shot that Hayato has made. Honestly, he didn't like the boy, but he can't help but admit that the Prince was indeed a sharp shooter like his father.

He wasn't able to answer.

All of a sudden, one of Mr. Gokudera's subordinates rushed towards him and spoke, "Your Highness, it seems that you caught a wonderful animal this time."

The duke raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What did I kill this time?"

As if on cue, four other subordinates appeared carrying a large animal. To his surprise, it was the animal that he kept on seeing from the windows of his study. It was the animal that has a very beautiful, thick, orange mane with a flicker of orange flame atop its forehead.

It was the enchanted animal that he has been looking for.

But the moment he was about to touch it, the flames died.

"It's dead, Your Highness." One of the subordinates said.

The duke sighed, "Well, it can't be helped. I hit him dead on." Then touching the mane, he felt a mix of satisfaction and pity for the animal. It was too bad that the animal caught his interests since he was after interesting things. And too bad that he killed it. "Anyway, I could use his head as another prized collection in my room."

The subordinates were silent at first, but seeing the beauty that their master has caught; they can't help but cheer him on. Ronald, on the other hand, was partly jealous. He wanted to catch an enchanted animal as well. And perhaps, make a wish to turn him to a duke and be at par with Mr. Gokudera.

The question was if there were any enchanted animals that have that ability.

…**:[]:…**

"I'm beat…" Hayato told himself as he slumped down the grassy meadow. Takeshi joined him as well.

"Well, you've been firing arrows non-stop," Takeshi said with a smile, "It would strain your muscles, of course."

"Che, I don't need to hear opinions from a baseball-freak like you do."

"Now, now, don't be so rude." Takeshi said and looked to the area where Hayato fired his arrows. There were trees that have been barked off by the sheer force of the arrows. Some have been successfully stabbed in the middle accurately. Others have shed of a few leaves, no, branches actually, because of the wild shooting that the Prince made. It made Takeshi chuckle inwardly. His childhood friend's temper was really something unchangeable.

"What so funny, bastard?" Hayato asked irritably as he saw Takeshi's happy face. He particularly assumed that the other was laughing.

Takeshi looked at him and shook his head rather happily, "Nothing. Do I look like laughing?"

"Your shit face was laughing. I am almost on the edge of thinking you're really crazy, idiot."

"Haha! You really have a nice choice of words there, Hayato."

"ARE YOU TEASING ME, BASTARD?!"

"Calm down, Hayato. I'm not teasing you."

The bickering went on (as for Hayato's side only) until they heard a high pitched sound. They immediately stopped and further listened to it. They thought that it was a cry from a small animal and no wonder it would echo all over the place because of the wideness of the meadow, plus less wind. The cries went on, then softer until it was gone. The two friends looked at each other and having the same brainwaves as the other, their curiosity piqued them and silently decided to check it out.

…**:[]:…**

It was a cub, maybe of three or four months old already. His fur was of golden color with black spots adoring its face. There were more black spots lining its spine towards the tip of its tail. But what struck them the most was the big, honey-colored eyes the cub possessed. The eyes were pinned on them, curious and wary at the same time, but the cub did nothing but move backwards from them. Another thing they noticed was the deep gash running at its side, blood was obviously running down to its legs.

It looked like it was recently attacked.

Hayato looked around for the source of the wound and he realized that the ground was filled with the arrows he fired. Not too far from the cub, he saw the arrow covered in blood that was stuck beneath the tree. The prince's eyes went wide.

_It must be the arrow that I mishandled…oh no…_

The prince's thoughts were immediately cut short when the cub ran towards him and weakly bit his hand, causing him to roughly shove the cub and heard it slammed to the tree. It lay unconscious and bleeding profusely.

Takeshi wanted to approach the cub, but Hayato stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Takeshi asked.

"Let's leave that cub," Hayato said, clutching his bitten hand, "I can't afford to bring in an animal that I have killed by my own hands."

"But it's not dead yet."

"It will soon." Hayato said as he let Takeshi look on his hand, "Didn't you see the deep gash on his side? It will die soon."

"But you heard how it cried a while ago."

"Are you sure that it was that cub who cried?" Hayato pulled his hand away from Takeshi's hold and stood, eyeing the dying cub once more, "I don't want to bring in animals like my father does. I don't condone the fact that killing animals for entertainment and a show of power just to be famous. I am nothing like him."

Takeshi chuckled and patted his friend's shoulder, "Who said you are?" Then he went on and picked the fallen cub and presented it in front of Hayato, "You could change that, Your Highness. Surely, you're not your father's identical when it comes to likes, but you are unique to yourself." He pushed the bloodied animal to the prince's hand and smiled, "You can save a life, Hayato."

Hayato stubbornly pouted and looked away, embarrassed by the fact that the baseball-freak was actually giving him an advice and distinguishing him from his father. He can't also help but admit that Takeshi was the only friend he had who was honest with him, unlike his other so-called friends whose parents were his father's friends. For him, the only reason they were friends with the prince because of fame. They wanted to be acknowledged as the Prince's friends, and lowlifes such as the people in town and the poor people have no right to speak to them. Screw them. All in all, he was (secretly) thankful that he has Takeshi.

He looked down once more to the cub. Now that it was closer, he noticed the lone diamond mark on the center of its forehead and he can't help but think that the cub was adorable in its own way. The cub has unique characteristics unlike other lions or tigers. But it doesn't mean that this cub he was holding right now was different from the rest of the cat kingdom.

The cub was really cute and soft.

Not unless it was cured.

Hayato looked at Takeshi for a moment before shoving the cub back to Takeshi's arms, "You carry it back towards the mansion. I can't let the ugly maids see me running with blood on my gear." Then he started to run off.

Takeshi smiled and rubbed the head of the cub with kindness. It seemed that this animal will change something in his friend's life. Maybe to him as well.

…**:[]:…**

In a few moments time, Hayato managed to finish patching the wound he inflicted on the cub right after Takeshi professionally smuggled it inside the mansion. He was both irritated and thankful at the same time because the maids were perfectly idiots as Takeshi flashed his smile while carrying the cub under his yukata. The cub now was peacefully sleeping under Hayato's fluffy bed, almost hidden between big pillows that Takeshi put to prevent him from falling from the bed. Hayato softly huffed. Takeshi has soft spots for animals, he must say.

After that, the day passed by with him and his best friend joining the duke's feast for catching another magnificent animal. And it's no ordinary animal, it's actually a _fiamma_, an animal with magical flames as a source of their life. It was believed that when one caught a fiamma, upon drainage of those magical flames, one of your greatest wishes will come true. Hayato fought the urge to roll his eyes. His dad was already a duke and he doesn't have any…wishes…to—

"…take the southern part of the forest." Mr. Gokudera declared while his secretary scribbled down his entire 'to-do' list.

WHAT?! It's the exact expression drawn by Hayato. Takeshi, on the other hand, was just gaping onto the scene that Hayato's father caused – the people around him were half debating on the wish he made and the others cheering him on. He looked at Hayato and saw that his expression was far from good anymore. Then, one of Mr. Gokudera's subordinates spoke,

"But sire, the flames of that lion has vanished the moment we touched it."

Mr. Gokudera raised an eyebrow, "And?"

The subordinate gulped and continued, "Sh-shouldn't we make a wish when the flame was still lit? By making our wish it meant taking away that mystical animal's life."

The others have stopped talking and bickering, even Hayato's attention was caught (other half of it was rejoicing because his father's plan won't work anymore). The subordinate, of course, shifted uncomfortably from the gazes he received from the audience. The duke was completely silent at first before throwing a hysterical laughter in front of everyone.

"It's just a joke, you know? I'm really planning to take down the southern part of the forest and build a gunning ranch there. It will be a perfect place for practicing shooting and hunting."

There was a dead silence for a brief time before the others threw a fit of their own laughter. Hayato scowled even more as he saw a bunch of idiots laughing their asses for something not funny. Takeshi was the same, but being the ever peace lover guy, he just remained silent and proceeded with his food. Suddenly, he heard something with his trained ears. It was a soft growl, not too loud to be noticed by everyone eating in the dining table. At first, he thought it was one of Hayato's trained dogs kept in the back garden, but when growl became more profound, he lightly kicked Hayato at his knee and sent him an eye signal to go. Hayato seemed to understand and without excusing himself (which he was thankful for), he immediately went after Takeshi.

Walking fast towards the stairs, both Takeshi and Hayato were surprised to see the young cub they took from the forest, limping with its bandages starting to get loose. Some of it was getting in the way of the cub's face that made it look cute. Takeshi fought back a giggle while Hayato made an indifferent face. A cub is a cub. What's so special about that? When Takeshi was about to scoop the little one, the cub made a soft, angry growl and tripped itself from the bandage, causing him to fall on his hind legs. Hayato snorted, not at the cub but at Takeshi. An animal lover like Takeshi was growled at. Sighing, he proceeded towards the cub and with ease scooped it to its chest. At first, the cub squirmed at his hold, but Hayato's grip was stronger that its squirm and eventually, it gave up struggling. A moment later, Hayato found that the cub was succumbing itself to his warmth. Takeshi seemed to notice this and gave his best friend a pat.

"Nice one, Hayato." Takeshi praised, "I didn't know you can handle lion cubs so well."

"He's just wounded so he's easy to boss around," Hayato defended himself, "If this cub gets better, I'm pretty sure at seeing myself filled with scratch marks on my face every day."

"Now, he can't be that bad." Then, Takeshi rubbed the underside of the cub's ears, making it squirm in comfort against Hayato's hold, "By the way, what are you going to name him?"

Hayato looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "What about it? Does he need a name?"

"Of course he does! He's yours now and every little pet should have a name."

"Che. I have lots of pets already. Plus, this is a lion and when this cub grows, it could eat me alive while I sleep!"

"Not if you take care of it, Your Highness."

"Che. Stop with the formalities, Yakyuu-baka."

"Sure, sure." Then Takeshi laughed heartily.

As for the cub, it fell asleep right after that rub but most of all, it was happy that he found this very comfortable warmth that made him at ease.

* * *

**I don't really but I don't think this would be a one-shot. Hohohoho~ perhaps this will showcase 5 chapters. I can't seem to bring all of my ideas in one whole package because I know it would just ruin the whole thing. And so, I bring you this. :D Review okay?**


End file.
